Hose clamp applying means



March 14, 1939. G. L. MCKEE HosE CLAMP APPLYING MEANS Filed May 13, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTO ATTORNEY.

l March 14, 1939. G. L. MCKEE HOSE CLAMP APPLYING MEANS Filed May 13, 1956 March 14, 1939. G. MCKEE 2,150,234

HOSE CLAMP APPLYING MEANS Filed May 13, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Zfym ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 14, 1939 PATENT OFFICE HOSE CLAMP APPLYING MEANS Glenn L. McKee, Oildale, Calif., assigner to Mc- Kee Brothers Corporation, Bakersfield, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 13, 1936, Serial No. 79,545

11 Claims. (Cl. 81-9.3)

My invention relates to improvements in method and apparatus of applying a clamp or band around an article. Reference is made to my copending applications, Serial No. 125,650, iiled February 13, 1937, and Serial No. 155,156, iled July 23, 1937, for matter shown but not claimed herein.

The invention consists in novel apparatus. for applying the clamp or band tightly about the article, and fastening the clamp or band whereby its tension will not be reduced when the tool is removed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling that may be applied about an article of any diameter and the apparatus for applying such a coupling about the hose being provided with means for cutting off the surplus part of the coupling just before the article is removed from the apparatus.

With these and other objects in view, the invention lies in the provision of means for applying a clamp or band about an article, said means being compactly arranged so that it may be transported from place to place and provided with the necessary steps in its operation or tightening the clamp or band about the article and cutting off the surplus stock.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and to all of these ends the invention consists of the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combination of elements substantially as hereinafter fully described in the specication, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the clamp applying mechanism shown in a position just prior to the insertion of the hose clamp within the holdmg means.

Figure 2 is-a top plan View of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1 but showing the parts thereof in section.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 3 showing the hose clamp about the hose just prior to the tightening of the clamp thereabout.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing one part of the device moved to the position serving to cut the excess portion of the clamping band away.

Figure 6 is a perspective View showing the two sections of the apparatus, one removed from the other.

Figure '7 is a detailed' view showing the hand D, operated lever and the position it assumes when the block to which it is pivoted is permitted to move freely upon its supporting element.

Figure 8 is a Vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a sectional View taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 4.

The apparatus described herein consists of two parts. One is removable from the other, being so designed for the purpose of shipment, or fixed thereto in any preferred manner so that .1.o one part may have movement relative to the other for a purpose hereinafter described. The main part of the apparatus includes a clamping element which impinges upon a depending tongue of a coupling serving to retain the coupling in a position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The other section of the apparatusincludes a hand operated lever and a gripping means for the free end of the coupling which by movement of a hand lever draws the coils or convolutions of the L clamp one upon the other and nally tightly about the exterior of the article. After the clamp has been drawn tightly around the article, the second part of the apparatus is. moved relative to the iirst part, and during this relative movement elements carried by the two cooperate to shear the surplus part of the coupling band. At the same time it bends the band down adjacent its holding clip so that the coupling cannot expand when it is removed from the clamp. All of this will be more clearly apparent from the description which follows.

The clamp which is shown more specically in the accompanying drawings consists merely of a band or strip of flexible metal and or" the desired width, depending upon the diameter of the article to be clamped or banded. It is, of course, apparent that an article of small diameter would require a narrow band, while one of a larger diameter might require a series of narrow bands or a wider band. The strip of metal is designated by the letter A and it is wound with one or more convolutions upon itself, the windings or convolutions being held by a clip B which may have side portions adapted to be bent over the inner face of the coil or it may be merely a sleeve through which the convolutions are drawn. This sleeve or clipy B is provided with a depending tongue C which as previously described serves as the means for holding the clamp when applying 5') tension to the band and finally when the surplus material of the band is cut oi the end of the band adjacent the clipv is bent inwardly and the tongue C bent over the free end of the band,

thus forming a permanent lock preventing the unwinding of the clamp.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like parts designate corresponding parts in the several views, and particularly to Figure l, the apparatus includes a suitable base l5 of any desired type, but as shown in the drawings a horizontal one serving as the means by which the apparatus may be secured to any suitable support. Extending upwardly from this base is an arm il the upper end of which is elongated and lies in a horizontal plane, the same being bifurcated to provide the upstanding arms I2. Secured by suitable bolts or the like i3 on the outer side of each of these upstanding arms i2 are plates ll, the iront end of each extending beyond the arms l2.

Positioned between the upstanding arms l2 and secured in position by the same bolts which retain the side plates lit to these arms, is a bar l5 having an upturned portion i6 at its front end as shown in Figure 4, to which is secured, upon its outer face, a shearing block il and upon its inner face a clamping block IS, the latter being supported by a central rib lgvso that the block may have relative movement with respect to the bar.

The adjacent sides of the upstanding arms l2 are provided at their front ends and adjacent the upper surface of the bar l5 with horizontally disposed slots 22 which receive outwardly extending flanges 2l formed integral with a sliding clamping block 22. This clamping block 22 has pivotally connected to its rear end a link 23 which in turn is pivotally connected to a hand operating lever 2d pivoted as at 25 to the side plates it.

The sliding block 22 has in its nose a bore 2S in which is positioned a cylindrical plug 2? having a limited outward movement controlled by a retaining pin 23, the plug being forced outwardly by a coil spring 29 positioned between the base of the bore and the plug. Y

With'the structure just described, the clamp element is inserted between the fixed block or jaw i il and the movable clamping block or jaw 22, the latter being operated by the hand lever, and it will be observed from the drawings that the clamp element is positioned in such a manner that the free end of its last coil extends toward the operator or outwardly from the hand lever of the clamping element. In clamping the element in place, the depending tongue is inserted between the fixed and movable jaws and as the hand operated lever' is drawn upwardly there is rst a clamping cf the tongue between the resiliently extended plug carried by the movable clamping element and the xed jaw. A further movement of the hand lever serves to compress the spring in back of the plug and at the same time the lever assumes a position wherein the link connecting the lever with the sliding block is below center, thus tending to hold the lever in its locking position.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings,

this portion of the apparatus just described has pivotally' connected adjacent its base an arm or brace 35, the upper end being enlarged and serving as a support for the second part of the apparatus as shown in Figure 3.

The iront ends of the side plates iii have formed upon adjacent sides curved slots 3l which receive correspondingly formed projections or ribs 32 integral with the front end of the removable section.

As shown in Figure 3 and 6, this removable secformed the rib or ange 32 which is receivable within the slots 3l formed upon the projecting arms of the stationary member.

These two outstanding arms are connected by a square spacing element or bar 35 formed integral therewith and serving as the second half of the means for shearing the excess portion of the clamping band from the main portion, in a manner hereinafter set forth.

This head 33 of the second element is connected to a rear head 36 by horizontally disposed rods 3'! maintaining the head in spaced relation. Positioned below the rods is a rack bar 38, the ends of which are supported by the front and rear heads, The rear head being retained to the rack bar by means of a clamping nut 39 threaded upon a reduced portion 40 of the bar, extending through the head.

'slidable upon the bar 38 is an elongated U shaped member Lil, the front end of which `has formed integral therewith a vertically disposed yoke 42 slidable upon the side rods 31 and provided with a vertical slot i3 in which is pivotally mounted a pawl 4d cooperating with the lower Jface of a removable plate 45 fixed to the yoke serving to clamp the free end of the clamping band therebetween. 'I'he lower end of thisvpawl lli is pivoted to an arm @E formed centrally cfa yoke member il supported by the projecting ends of a stub shaft 43, movable in elongated slots di) formed in the side walls of the U shaped member.

Also positioned centrally upon this stub shaft @i3 is a ratchet wheel 50 lying within the bifurcated end 5l of a hand operated lever 52. Also carried within the bifurcated portion of the hand lever is a gravity actuated pawl 53 adapted to engage the ratchet for moving the U shaped member and the clamping element carried thereby longitudinally upon the rack.

To prevent the U shaped member and its clamping element from moving backwardlyY upon the rack, there is positioned between the sides of the U shaped member a pair of gravity actuated pawls 54. As shown in Figure '7 these pawls 54, and likewise the pawl 53 carried bythe lever, are provided with iiat surfaces which when the lever is moved in a forward position permits the engagement of one pawl with the other, thus tending to move both pawls away from its cooperating element. That is, the lever carried pawl 53 away from the ratchet 50 and the pawls 5l?. carried by the U shaped member away from the rack, thus permitting the clamping element for the free end or the band to be moved freely with respect to the rack.

Ordinarily the yoke member 41 is retained in its rearmost position with respect to the U shaped member Gi, or in fact in such a position as to permitl a gripping engagement of the pivoted pawl with the xed face of the yoke member. This position of the lever carried yoke member is retained by means of a spring 55 interposed between the yoke and the adjacent face of the U shaped member 4I.

Relative movement of the lever carried yoke with respect to the U shaped member 4| is nermtted as shown in Figure 4 for the purpose of disengaging the face of the pivoted pawl 44 from the xed face 45 of the clamping elements so that the free end of the hose clamp might be vinserted therebetween. To hold the pawl in this free position there is projecting through one side `of the vertically disposed yoke a plunger 58 which when depressed by the iinger may seek a socket 5l formed in one face of the pivoted pawl. The pawl retains this position until the end of the band has'been inserted therein, whereupon the lever is operated freeing the retaining plunger and permitting the pawl 44'a11d the fixed plate 45 to grip the end of the band therebetween. Assuming that the end of the band is in place an-d gripped by the pivoted pawl, the lever is then swung back and forth and by action of the pawls the U shaped member is moved rearwardly step by step upon the rack and the side rods, thus drawing the hose clamp element tightly about the hose.

The rear head of the detachable section is' prolvided with an outwardly projecting handle 58 by which this section is lifted after the band has been drawn tightly around the hose, thus permitting the brace 30 to drop down and the second section to move down relative to the first section as shown in Figure 5. A further swing of the pivoted section with respect to the first section will bring the shearing rod or knife 35 carried by the swinging section under the shearing block I1 carried by the xed section, thus cutting the band.

It is, of course, apparent from the foregoing description that the mechanism described herein is merely one form of the apparatus. It is, of course, distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the specic form of connection between the Xed and movable sections, nor am' I restricted to the particular clamping elements for the clamp shown.

The operation of my clamp applying means is as follows: The band A is passed around or slid on to the article to be banded. For rthe sake of example only, and not as a limitation of the use of the present invention, a hose F'is shown as being banded upon a coupling D inserted in the hose. The clip B maintains superposed wraps of the band one upon the other.

The tongue C is inserted between the fixed jaw I8 and the movable jaw 22. Moving the lever 24 manually from the broken line position to the full line position of Figure 4, causes the tongue C to be clamped between lsaid jaws.

rihe loose end of the band A is inserted under the shearing bar 35 and clamped against the plate 45 by the pawl 44. The lever 52, by swinging movement to the right, as it is shovim in Figures 1, 3 and 4, performs two functions, to wit, effects such clamping action by the pawl 44 and advances the U-shaped carrier 4l and the parts assembled thereon, to the right in said iigures, along the rack 38. This action draws the band A tight around the article being banded.

When the article is tightly banded, the brace 3i) is dropped down, as shown in Figure 5. The rack 38, carrier 4| and their associated parts are then allowed to swing down to the position shown in Figure 5. This swinging motion first bends the band A substantially at right angles to the clip B. The bend thus made in the band maintains the tightness of the band on the article. When the rack 38 and said other elements have swung substantially to a Vertical position, the shearing bar 35, in cooperation with the shearing block l1, shears the-band A a short distance from the bend.

The banded article maythen be released from the device by moving the lever 24 from the full line to the brokenline position of Figure 4. The vsevered end of the band is then bent down upon the clip B and the tongue C is bent down upon the severed end.

The rack 38 and associated parts are ythen raised to the position shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4- and the brace 530 is replaced. The severed end of the band A is released by moving the lever 52 yto the left, as it is shown in said figures. Returning the carrier il to itsoriginal position, as shown in Figure is effected in a simple movement by moving the lever 52 to the position shown in Figure '7, which releases both pawls 53, 54. The carrier is then free to be moved to its said original position. The -apparatus is now ready for the next article that is to be banded.

From vthe foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation and vmany advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of members, one pivotally movable on the other, an element for retaining a clamping band on one member, a movable gripping element on the other member for gripping the band, mechanism to move the gripping element relative to said other member, for drawing the band tight about an article, means engaging the members at opposite sides of their pivotal connection and arranged to maintain the members vrelatively stationary during said band tightening step, and shearing means on the tool disposed to cut the band disposed in the gripping element, upon a predetermined movement of the movable member, said rst-mentioned means being releasable from its position maintaining the members relatively stationary, and the movable member upon being released is movable to a position in which the shearing means shears the band.

2. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of sections, one pivotally movable on the other, means to maintain the sections relatively stationary, an element for retaining a clamping band on one section, a gripping element on the other section for gripping a part of the band, mechanism to move the gripping element relative to said retaining element, while the sections are held relatively stationary, for drawing the band tight about an article, the means that maintains the sections relatively stationary being releasable, the pivotally movable section, upon release of said means, being movable to a position in which the band is bent to a locking position upon the article, they gripping element maintaining its grip upon the band while the latter is being bent.

3. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of sections, one pivotally movable on the other, an element for retaining a clamping band on one section, a gripping element on the other section for gripping a part of the band, and mechanism to move the gripping element relative to said retaining element, for drawing the band tight about an article, the sections having shearing members disposed on opposite sides of the path of a band retained and gripped by the elements, to shear the band by movement-of the movable section, the gripping element arranged to grip and maintain tension on the band during the shearing step.

4. A tool of therclass described comprising a pair of sections, one pivotally movable on the other, an element for retaining a` clamping band on one section, a gripping element on the other section for gripping a part or the band, and means associated with the gripping element for moving same relative to its supporting section to draw the band tight about an article, the pivoted section being movable to a position bending the band to maintain its tension on the-article, the sections having shearing members on opposite sides of the path of a band retained and gripped by the elements, for movement of the pivoted section in a given direction from the initial band bending position to shear the band in the gripping element.

5. A tool of the class described comprising a Y pair oi members, one pivotally movable on the other, relatively stationary and movable elements on the members respectively, for retaining and relatively moving portions of a clamping band, a rack and gear connected to move the movable element, to tighten the band around an article, and a shearing block and a shearing knife respectively on the members, on opposite sides of the path of the band to shear the band held by said elements, upon pivotal movement of the pivotally mounted member. Y Y

6. A tool of the class described comprising a support for retaining aiclamping band, a rack, a carriage movable along the rack, a gear journaled on the carriage and engaging the rack, means on the carriage to connect with the band. to tighten the band about an article by movement of the carriage, a manuallyY operable lever, a pawl arranged to communicate rotary motion to the gear by movement of the lever in one direction, and a pawl on the carriage arranged to engage the rack to prevent retrograde motion of the carriage during movement of the lever in the opposite direction and the pawls being arranged in one position to engage each other and mutually release each other, the lever being movable to an eX- treme position in which it causes the pawls to thus engage and release each other.

'7. A tool of the class described comprising a block, a sliding head to clamp banding means between the head and the block, resilient means urging the head toward the block, a lever, overcenter linkage connected with the lever and arranged to compress the resilient means to so urge the head, the lever being movable to cause the linkage to pass center, to lock the resilient means in a compressed condition and to lock the banding means between the head and the block, means for gripping a portion of the band, and mechani'sm to move the gripping means relative to the and block, to tighten the band about an article.

8. VA device of the class described comprising a stationary section having connected thereto for swinging movement a second section, a Xed jaw carried by the first section and a movable jaw cooperating therewith to clamp therebetween one end of a clamp, a gripping element carried by the swinging section including a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw, and a manually actuated lever pivotally supported on the second section for moving the gripping element longitudinally of the swingingsection, said lever being movable with its pivot relative to its support to swing the pivoted jaw of the second gripping element away from the fixed jaw for the insertion therebetween of the free end ofthe clamp,each section having a shearing member thereon, the members being arranged whereby swinging action of the swinging section shears the band. Y Y

9. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of sections, one pivotally movable on the other, means to maintain the sections relatively stationary, an element for retaining a clamping bandV on one section, a rack on the other section, a carriage movable along the rack, a gear journaled on the carriage and engaging the rack, a gripping element on the carriage for gripping a part of the band, a manually operable lever, a pawl arranged to communicate motion to the gear along the rack in a direction away from the retainin element,.by movement of the lever in one direction, and hence movingY the Vcarriage relative to the retaining element, for drawing the band tight about an article while the sections are held relatively stationary, and an element to prevent retrograde motion of the carriage during movement of the lever in the opposite direction, the means that maintains the sections relatively stationary being releasable, the pivotally movable section, upon release of said means, being movable to a position in which the band is bent to a locking position upon the article, the gripping element maintaining its grip upon the band while 'the latter is being bent.

l0. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of sections, one pivotally movable on the other, means to maintain the sections relatively stationary, an element for retaining a clamping band on one section, a rack on the other section, a carriage movable along the rack, a gear journaled on the carriage and engaging the rack, clamping means on the carriage, a block on the carriage cooperating with the clamping means to grip a part of the band, a manually operable lever, a pawl arranged to communicate motion to the gear along the rack in a direction away from the retaining element, by movement of the lever in one direction, and hence moving the carriage relative to the retaining element, for drawing the band tight about an article while the sections are held relatively stationary, and an element to prevent retrograde motion of the carriage during movement of the lever in the opposite direction, the means that maintains the sections relatively stationary being releasable, the pivotally movable section, upon release of said means, being movable to a position in which the band is bent to a locking position upon the article, thev gripping element maintaining its grip upon the band while the latter is being bent.

11. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of sections, one pivotally movable on the other, a block on one section, a sliding head on the latter section to clamp banding means between the head and the block, a toggle pivotally mounted on the latter section and pivotally connected with the head, the toggle being movable to a locking position, to lock the banding means between the head and the block, a gripping element on the other section for gripping a part of the band,

' and mechanism to move the gripping element relative to the block, the sliding head and the toggle, for drawing the band tight about an article. GLENN L. MCKEE. 

